Stem material for artificial flowers.



No. 637,7l9. Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

J. C. ELLESER.

STEM MATERIAL FOR ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS.

(Application filed Apr. 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR W 5- @ZZW/L ATTORNEY THE nonms PETERS ca. murau'mm wnsnmamn, a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. ELLESER, OF PARK RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WALTER H. ELLESER, OF SAME PLACE, AND MYRON J. ELLISON AND LEMUEL ROBERTS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEM MATERIAL FOR ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,719, dated November 21, 1899.

Application filed April 4, 1899- Serial No. 711,647. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. ELLESER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Park Ridge, Bergen county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stem Materials for Artificial Flowers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the slender fiexible tubing used for the stems of artificial ro flowers. Ordinarilythis tubingis made either from a cheap quality of rubber composition or from some gelatinous composition, and it is quite weak and easily broken. In using this stem material for artificial flowers a slen- [5 der annealed wire is passed through its bore longitudinally, so that when bent or coiled it will retain the form given to it, and there is a liability of the tip of the wire being thrust through the wall of the tube, which may be easily perforated. It is desirable that the stem material shall be somewhat yielding to the touch and have a bright appearance and an appropriate color.

The object of the present invention is to provide a stem material, at a reasonable cost, of fine color, appearance, and texture and of great strength as compared with the ordinary material heretofore made.

This stem material consists, essentially, of

a compound tube, the outer coating or body of the tube being of a gelatin compound and the inner coating or lining of awoven fabric. Preferably this fabric will be a thincotton fabric, as lawn, and the gelatin compound 5 will contain a suitable coloring-matter and some substanceas glycerin, for exampleto preserve the gelatin in a pliable, somewhat-yielding condition. The gelatin compound-will be incorporated with the woven 4o fabric, so that, the two form a compound tube.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 represents a piece of the stem material of 5 about the usual size, a portion of the end thereof being in section. Figs. 2 and 3 are illustrative views on an exaggerated scale, the former being partly denuded and partly in longitudinal section and the lattera transverse section.

In the views, A represents the compound tube as a whole. or represents the outer coating of gelatinous compound, andb represents the lining of woven fabric.

This stem material may be made in any of the ways known in the art. The present in vention does not relate to the mode of manufacture. It may be made, however, in the following manner: A strip of some thin woven fabric, as lawn, is wrapped about a straight wire of the proper gage in such a manner that the fabric covers the wire. The wire thus covered is then dipped in a solution of gelatinous composition and the coating allowed to cool and become firm. The tube is then slipped from the wire. The gelatin solution will usually be suitably colored by the admixture of a dye or dyes therewith and will usually have mixed with it some substance, as glycerin, to preserve it in a fiexi- 7o ble, yielding condition. Theinvention is not, however, restricted to any special gelatinous composition, as many of these are known.

The textile lining of the tube not only adds tensile strength, but enables the tube to resist the tendency of the end of the wire over which it is slipped to protrude through its wall. Where the tube has no textile lining, the twisting of the wired stems together causes the wire to out through the soft material of the stem.

Having thus described my invention, I claim As an improved article of manufacture, a stem material for artificial flowers, consisting 8 5 of a slender, compound tube of gelatinous material and a lining of woven fabric, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 31st day of March, 1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. ELLESER.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. ROBERT, PETER A. Boss. 

